Condemned Silence
by MyChemicalDarkness
Summary: Ciel knew that there would be ridiculous teen drama at this school but he didn't think that he'd be dragged into it as well! However, when his classmates start dying, he realizes just how strong of grudges they can hold. Only the dead are innocent. SxC
1. Simple Beginnings

**And I'm back! ^^ Considering this is exam week, I've decided it would be a good time to start another fic~ So just a little info before hand:**

**Main Plot: AU. This is going to be a murder mystery between a selection of characters I choose from Kuroshitsuji |D which means CHARACTER DEATH. If you can't take character death, well, the first few chapters will just be introducing characters and seeing their relations. For those who do read this, I hope you enjoy it and I wonder if you'll be able to figure out who the murderer is before it ends ;) Also, I plan on having it SebastianxCiel (and will most likely include some WillxGrell, 'cause I love that pairing), but this story does not revolve around romantic relationships.**

**Warnings: Character death, gore, language, shounen-ai, AU**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji.**

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><p>Taking a step down from the servant's car, he peered up at the academy. A cool, summer breeze blew past his cheek as the boy cursed the worst day of the week: Monday. More specifically, it was the first day of school. For some reason, his father thought it a good idea to send him away to this academy instead of his usual school.<p>

"_With supreme schooling, you'll achieve greatness in life and will be the successor of Funtom Company, Ciel,"_ Vincent Phantomhive had said.

"_Yes, Father,"_ the blue eyed boy agreed obediently.

However, he regretted ever relenting to his father's wishes. Glancing at all the exuberant and overly cheerful faces, he wanted to race back and dive into the silver vehicle. Unfortunately, the inanimate object must've read his desperate thoughts because as soon as he turned around, it sped off.

Ciel Phantomhive was not amused.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, turning back to the academy. "Well, I suppose there's nothing else to be done… Why I must suffer through this hell, though, is beyond me."

It wasn't necessarily the whole concept of learning that annoyed Ciel but the people that inhabited this school. Like always, he would be stuck in a class full of students who honestly had no right to be allowed in such a prestigious school. He just hoped that since this one was held in even higher regards than his previous school that the students might have a little more self control.

Straightening out the uncomfortable school uniform's jacket, Ciel checked his phone. He didn't have long until the 'Welcoming Ceremony' began. With much reluctance, he carelessly tossed his phone in the shoulder bag and wandered through the grand front doors of the academy. It opened into a large reception room. Spotting a hanging sign stating the direction to the auditorium, the boy headed over there.

After walking down the hallway a few paces, he spotted other students near his own age also going towards the auditorium. That was a good sign. It would've been embarrassing if a Phantomhive couldn't even find his way around an academy.

"Oh my god, did you see the Seniors?" a female student gasped. "While my sister was giving me a tour, I saw them all out back by the field! One of them even waved at me! Kyaa~"

"No way! I haven't seen them yet~ I heard they're _so_ hot though! You're so lucky, Ayumi!" another girl gushed.

"Ladies, ladies, please," a confident looking blond walked over and placed his arms around their shoulders. "Who needs those seniors when you've got me, Ronald Knox, at your service~"

The girls blushed and stuttered something Ciel couldn't care to hear or pay attention to.

Finally, he arrived at the auditorium. The doors were open, revealing a room full of hundreds upon hundreds of chairs. Taking a free spot next to the wall, Ciel waited for whatever presentation they were going to do.

Glancing around, he saw hordes of girls sitting together, gossiping and flirting with guys already. Amongst one of the groups, he spotted Elizabeth, his cousin. Eyes widening, he immediately turned away. Not that he didn't like Elizabeth, he just preferred not having to listen to her hyperness whenever she was around him. He had actually forgotten she would be here.

Eventually, the headmaster came out, smiling at all the new students. "Good day, everyone. I'd like to welcome all of you to Blackhorn Academy, where we not only want you to succeed in your studies but also have great experiences and make lots of friends! To enforce this desire, as some of you may already know―" he said this looking pointedly at a group of giddy girls, "―you will all be paired up with a senior student for tours of the school. They will show you where your classes are, where the cafeteria is, the dorms and explain anything else you might want to know. Now, I'm going to go over the rules and expectations here at…"

Ciel stared bored at the man as he went on and on about how there were to be no students to be out of bed after ten, no sharing rooms with the opposite sex, no drugs, no plagiarism, et cetera… Unfortunately, Ciel couldn't very well just get up and leave. He'd have to stick it through with the rest of these students, it seemed.

At times like this, he was reminded of the days when his father and he discussed his future. This meant learning how to run a company, how to make money and most importantly, how to be a good leader. He couldn't expect to be able to control all his pawns if he didn't rule with an iron fist, or so his father had explained.

Ciel wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, brooding over Funtom Company, but eventually the monotonous speech ended.

Students immediately jumped out of their seats and raced towards the exits―and that was not an exaggeration. Ciel had been surprised at the exuberance and decided it would be safer if he just waited out for the storm to pass. When he was sure that he wasn't going to be run over by a mob of children, the blue eyed child casually followed after them. They were led outside to the football field.

Ciel glanced around and saw students breaking off into little groups and finding their guides. Stumped, he just stood there. Maybe he should have listened to that speech after all. Deciding that he probably looked like a fool standing there in the middle of this chaos, Ciel walked over to what he assumed must be a teacher.

The man was obviously Chinese, sporting a traditional grey coat and black slacks. However, he didn't look all too professional. Ciel wasn't sure, but he thought the young lady hanging suggestively off his arm might be why.

Ciel opened his mouth to voice his question, but the foreign man beat him to it.

The Chinese man turned towards him and said grimly, "You. I know what you need, though I never thought I would actually meet you here…"

An uncertain look crossed over Ciel's face. This man knew who he was? Damn it. He thought going to a different school in a different country than where his business was would assure him privacy. He would not make this mistake again.

"Who are you again?" the Chinese man said with a carefree open mouthed smile on his face.

Ciel stumbled. "You just said… You were just pretending to know what was going on!" Frustrated, but a little relieved, he continued, "My name is Ciel Durless. I'm supposed to be getting a tour of the school by some Senior student but I haven't been told who he is."

"Ciel Durless," he murmured as he flipped through some pages on his clipboard. "It sounds familiar, ne, Ran Mao?"

The young Chinese lady nodded her head.

"Ah! Here we are," he said happily and drug his finger across the paper to find the student who had been assigned to Ciel. "Ooh many would _kill_ to be paired with this man~ Sebastian Michaelis is his name, the devil of our school."

Devil? Ciel frowned. What was that supposed to mean? "And where do I find this man?"

Ran Mao pointed in a direction.

Ciel followed it and caught sight of a tall man with pitch black hair walking towards them. He wore a smirk, his crimson eyes shining with some indescribable emotion.

"Professor Lau, Miss Ran Mao, what a coincidence. I was just on my way to question the whereabouts of my student," Sebastian drawled and his eyes flickered over to Ciel for a moment. "I'm worried he might have gotten lost on his first day here."

"Student," Ran Mao stated and swung her arm around to point at Ciel in turn.

"Ah, so here he is." The man's voice rang with amusement. "I understand completely; this school can be rather intimidating at first so―"

"I wasn't lost, you pompous jerk," Ciel snapped and crossed his arms. "Just because I didn't come racing out like the rest of these simple minded children does not mean I cannot navigate my way through this institute."

Sebastian's smile grew larger. "Is that so? Forgive my impolite accusations then…?"

"Ciel Durless. Shouldn't you know this already, since you're supposed to be my guide?" the smaller boy questioned.

Sebastian let out an annoyed noise. "No. Regrettably, that incompetent man who runs this school thought it would make good small talk if we did not know which student we were supposed to be helping. Just look at the chaos it has created." With that, he motioned towards the mass of confused students.

"Are you kidding me? And they let an idiot like that run a prestigious academy?" Ciel demanded, stunned.

"Indeed. Well, let's begin our tour, Ciel Durless. Professor Lau, Miss Ran Mao, please excuse us," Sebastian said easily and walked away, expecting the boy to follow him.

He did, though not behind him. A Phantomhive did not walk behind anyone.

Sebastian glanced at him in interest. "So, what classes do you have this semester?"

Ciel pulled out his schedule from his bag. "Social Studies, English Literature, Science―" Sebastian almost seemed to wince at this, "―and Mathematics."

"Well, for Social Studies, you'll have the teachers we just spoke to," Sebastian informed Ciel as he led him down a hall. "Lau is the teacher and Ran Mao is _supposed_ to be an assistant. For English, Aleister Chamber will be your teacher. Be prepared to do many, _many_ plays this year. The man who teaches Science goes by the name Undertaker. He is also the Biology 11 teacher, if you're planning on taking that. Math is taught by Grey."

"You don't like this man, Undertaker?" Ciel pursued.

Sebastian was silent for a moment. "It's only a personal opinion, nothing that you should fret over."

Ciel snorted. "You thought I was worried over something as trivial? You're denser than I thought. I was merely curious to why anyone would want to be called Undertaker."

"He used to be an actual mortician."

Ciel paused. "What?"

A dark smile crossed the man's face. "You heard me. He used to cut people's bodies up for fun; that's why he teaches biology. Why he decided to become a teacher is beyond me, but that man's screwed in the head."

"Sebas-chan, don't go around scaring the new kids~" a red haired man(?) scolded lightly.

Sebastian turned around. "Grell. I see you've found your student."

"Yep! He's so great~ Ne, Ronnie?" Grell gushed and glomped the younger student. "I'm glad I didn't get stuck with a little brat. My poor Will wasn't as lucky, though~ We should go save him, Sebby."

"Spears is none of my concern. However, maybe we _should_ find him. I'd love to see who he got stuck with," Sebastian said with a sinister smile.

"Wait, Sutcliff-sempai, he was kidding about this Undertaker guy, right?" Ronald laughed uncertainly.

"Nope. Sebas-chan prides himself on never lying~"

"That's… a little disturbing. A mortician teaching a class?" Ronald commented.

Grell shrugged. "You get used to those kind of things. Besides, _he's so hot._ Almost as sexy as my Sebas-chan~" He then attached himself to Sebastian's arm, blinking innocently up at him.

"Get off me," Sebastian hissed and shoved him away. "I thought you wanted to find Spears?"

"Ah! That's right!" Grell grabbed Ronald's arm. "Let's go Ronnie~ I haven't finished giving you your tour of hot men in this academy yet!"

"Ah, Sutcliff-sempai! Please slow down!" the boy exclaimed but the flamboyant student wouldn't listen.

Finally, Ciel decided to ask what had been bothering him ever since he met the red head. "Is that thing a guy?"

Sebastian chuckled. What a brave boy he had met. "Indeed. What a curious child you are, Ciel Durless."

"I'm not a child!" the aggravated boy said.

"Your response begs to differ," the older student countered easily.

"Tch. If that's all, I do believe I have better things to do than talk to the likes of you," Ciel retorted and turned to walk away.

"I'm sure you do. I will see you later, Ciel Durless," Sebastian said with a small smirk before turning away himself and walking off. Truly, what an interesting being he was. Nobody's ever treated him as… well, rude. But the fact that he didn't instantly melt and become a stuttering idiot when he saw Sebastian was quite refreshing. There was something else, though, that seemed almost familiar to him. Indeed, he would see the boy again very soon.

Ciel stormed off to where he'd been told the dorms were. However, he hadn't been paying enough attention and crashed into a large form that was on the other side of the corner.

"Hyuk hyuk hyuk, please excuse me my dear boy~ I hadn't realized you were going to be rounding the corner so furiously like that~" the man said with a creepy voice.

Ciel took a wary step back and looked up at the taller male. He wasn't able to see the man's eyes behind the long locks of silver hair. It was quite disturbing.

"What were you doing just standing behind this corner?" Ciel demanded.

The man wagged a finger. "Demanding things like that won't get you anywhere, my little _phantom_. A word of advice though, hmm? The dead _do_ speak. I look forward to seeing you in my class~"

Dumbstruck, Ciel watched as the creepy teacher pranced away, long black cloak flowing out behind him.

"Was that… the Undertaker? I can understand why Sebastian doesn't like him; he's bat shit crazy. The dead speak? What a moron," Ciel breathed before shaking his head and continuing on his way. "I've only been here for a couple of hours and yet I've already met an ex-mortician, a gender confused red head, a confident ass, an oblivious Chinese man, and said man's hooker. I _knew_ this was a bad idea. Damn you, Father and Tanaka."

Grumbling, Ciel found his dorm and immediately fell onto his bed.

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><p>"All they did was giggle and run around," William said in an extremely frustrated tone. He sat down in a vacant chair and pushed his glasses up.<p>

"Hehe my poor Will~ How ever did you get stuck with not one, but _two_ little girls?" Grell said with great amusement as he sauntered over to him.

"How am I supposed to―"

Sebastian snickered from his position leaning against the wall.

William's eyes narrowed. "You. You're behind this, aren't you?" He got up and was about to strike him but Grell quickly raced between them.

"As much as I love this side of you, William, I really don't want Ronnie to get the wrong impression~" Grell explained quickly.

William paused, his eyebrow twitching. "Who?"

"The kid who's been awkwardly standing outside the door," Sebastian informed him. "You didn't notice him? I think you're losing your touch, Spears."

"Shut it, Michaelis. Having to be in your presence is insufferable enough, I don't need to hear you're disgusting voice either."

Grell sighed in exasperation. "Ronnie, why don't you come in? Really, we need a distraction before Will and Sebby end up trying to kill each other again."

"Again?" Ronald wondered as he poked his head into the room. "Umm, not to be rude, Sempai, but the atmosphere in here is so tense a lawn mower couldn't cut it."

"Lawn mower? Gah, isn't he just precious~" Grell purred. "He's the perfect successor, ne, Will?"

"Whatever. I'm leaving. There're still some forms that need to be filled out before tomorrow." With that, William got up and went to leave the room. Then he paused. "Speaking of forms, did you ever end up doing your share, Sutcliff?"

"Hey Ronnie, let's finish our tour shall we?" Grell said quickly and raced past Will, grabbing his new obsession in the process.

"Grell Sutcliff… _I am going to kill you when I catch up with you!_" William threatened. "Honestly, as if we didn't have enough work to do…"

Sebastian watched as the man he utterly despised walked off. He had always hated Spears. Everything about him thoroughly pissed him off; the way he talked, how he thought himself so superior… Indeed, he would be glad when he could finally leave this school and be rid of these people.

There was a knock at the door.

Curiously, Sebastian wondered who would want permission to walk into a class room. "Yes?"

A dark skinned man appeared, smiling. "Good morning. I hope all has gone well?"

A rare, actual smile found its way on the crimson eyed man's face. "Agni. Indeed. I met a very interesting child today. Very confident and cocky. He must come from a lot of money, though I didn't recognize his last name. I assume you were quite glad to see your dear friend?"

Agni nodded, beaming. "Yes! I am so glad that Prince Soma is finally here. But who is the boy you speak of? Perhaps my Prince has classes with him."

"His name is Ciel. I'll introduce you to him later," Sebastian offered.

Agni smiled. "I look forward to it. Oh, but the reason I came here. Do you recall that third year student, Bardroy I believe?"

"The one that almost burnt down the school last year?" Sebastian deadpanned.

"Ah, yes, well he was supposed to help cook the dinner―"

"―What idiot gave him that permission?"

"You must give them a chance, Sebastian!" Agni pleaded. "Everyone has got their own talent."

"Yes. But for Bard, it is _not_―I repeat―_not_ cooking."

Agni sighed. "Well, I can't argue with that. Anyhow, he forgot all about that while he was giving his tour so he completely panicked when he got back to the kitchen and realized none of his food was cooked. So he decided to, ah, _speed it up_ by using another flamethrower."

"…And now everything's been destroyed," Sebastian concluded. He could feel a migraine starting to form.

"Yes."

Pushing away from the wall, Sebastian spoke with great annoyance. "Honestly, wouldn't it just be easier if we ordered all the food?"

"I apologize for dragging you into this," Agni said somberly.

Sebastian waved him off and started towards the kitchens. "No, it's alright. After all, I'm just one _hell_ of a cook."

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><p>Five more months. He'd only have to wait five more months until… Well, that depended on how things played out. In less than one hundred and fifty days, though, everything was going change.<p>

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><p><strong>So this was just the intro to see the characters and stuff ^^; As I mentioned above, the murder mystery part of it will start in a few chapters ;D I hope you guys will stick around and please leave a review if you think I should continue with this idea.<strong>


	2. Red is the Color of Deadly Passion

**Wow, I'm finally updating ^^; SOO sorry for the wait T_T I want to go on about how busy I was, but I probably could have found time to write this, so I'm not going to. Feel free to hit me with a stick or something for being so lazy. ****Anyways, here's the second chapter. I wonder, are any of them looking suspicious? Because in a murder mystery, only the dead are innocent- and no one's dead yet, so you have a wide variety to choose from! :D I can't wait to start the actual killings in a couple of chapters, though~ Happy reading, and Easter!**

**Warnings: Character death, gore, language, shounen-ai, AU**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji**

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><p>Knock, knock, knock.<p>

The door swung open.

"Good evening," Sebastian said happily, hand raised in a friendly salute.

Ciel slammed the door shut.

Knock. Pause. Knock, knock.

The door opened again.

"What do you want?" Ciel hissed. "Why are you even _here_?"

"Well, because it's my duty to help you get along in this school," Sebastian said as if it was obvious.

"I never asked for you help."

"It's alright. For you, I've decided to help from the goodness of my heart," Sebastian replied cheekily.

"… You're despicable, did you know that?" Ciel commented dryly.

"Your words pain me, and after I came all the way over here to escort you to dinner. We wouldn't want you getting lost again, now would we?" Sebastian smirked.

"Bastard, I told you I wasn't lost. Now could you please leave?" he said impatiently.

"I could, but I don't think I want to. Besides, a Senior who can't even make sure his student gets to dinner isn't worth his salt."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "You do realize salt isn't worth that much anymore, right?"

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. Then, a curious look overcame him. "Why do you cover your right eye completely with your hair like that?"

Tensing, the boy countered, "Does it matter the way I part my hair?"

Sebastian eyed him. "Obviously it does, but I won't press matters. If we don't hurry up, the desserts are all going to be eaten."

"Desserts?" Immediately, Ciel perked up for a moment before scoffing and looking away. "Maybe I should get something to eat. Lead the way."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. The boy liked desserts. How… unoriginal.

Ciel scrutinized the older student as he walked in the darkened sky. Even without the midnight black hair and blood colored eyes, he would've been weary of this man. There was this aura around him: nothing could shake this being. The way Sebastian held himself, completely confident as he observed everything around him with an easy smirk, was like everything else was below him.

"What do you want?" Ciel finally demanded again. "And don't give me another bullshit reason about wanting to help a new student. Everyone has a reason behind they're actions, and I've come to realize that people like you don't do things from the goodness of their hearts."

"Oh? _So distrusting_. That's a good way of thinking, though. It's true that behind every move spent and turn played, there is always a hidden motive. You wish to know mine, and yet why should I trust you with it?" Sebastian smiled sardonically.

The blue eyed boy was at a loss for words for a moment. "Hmm. You make a good point, Sebastian Michaelis. People also do not give without expecting anything in return. This is why I would rather not get involved with them."

"That is the code we live by here at this academy. You have met Grell Sutcliff. Do you think I keep his company because I _want_ to? As you yourself must already be aware of, there are many powerful families here. It's important to make good connections with them."

"And why are you telling me this?" Ciel frowned, suspicious.

Sebastian gave him a slightly surprised look. "I did not think it would be some great secret to you. Maybe my expectations were too high…"

Insulted, he snapped, "Of course I know that connections are important, you idiot. How else would I be able to run―"

"Run what?" Sebastian persisted.

"None of your goddamn business," Ciel responded irritably.

The raven haired student smiled. "Please, pardon my inquiries. I was merely curious as to how you were able to get in this academy."

Ciel wondered just why he needed to know this. Most likely, it was because he thought Ciel's family may be of use to him, just like the many others in this school. However, there was no way the boy was about to let the name Phantomhive slip to some pesky stranger. Though most did not know the truth about that family, he wouldn't be surprised if there were a few here who did. Instead, he said, "Aren't grades enough? My family, too, has old money to afford the expenses."

"Is that so? Durless… It's not a name I've heard of," Sebastian said thoughtfully.

"That's why I said _old_ money. Now what of yourself?"

Sebastian shrugged. "We own a chain of hotels all around the world. It's as simple as that."

_Hotels? I wonder if I could use that to my advantage, especially with Funtom Company expanding into foods. Hmm, I'll have to look into it more,_ Ciel thought to himself. This Sebastian Michaelis did have a point; the students here could be _very_ useful to him if handled properly. However, before he could question anything else, Sebastian pushed open two grand doors.

A bright room was shown. With golden-yellow walls, the entire place emitted a cheerful and warm atmosphere. Chandeliers hung from the roof and elegant tables were set up in rows. Students laughed and conversed easily, all sitting properly at the beautiful tables set up. That said, as soon as Sebastian walked in, Ciel swore it got immediately quieter. Men stared at him with envy, women with want. It was very unnerving how all these people looked at the dark haired man― and ultimately, himself as well.

Ignoring all the annoying glances, Ciel walked on beside Sebastian because he honestly didn't know what to do except that. Thankfully, everyone else had returned to their talking quickly and only sent occasional looks over at the two.

"This way," Sebastian said, smiling and playing the part of the devilishly handsome senior perfectly.

Ciel tried to see where exactly he was leading to, but it was quite difficult considering almost everyone was still taller than him sitting down on the high raised chairs. Instead, he decided to glare up at the older student, taking out his frustration of being almost half the size of him. Eventually, though, he saw a table in the center of the room, a little more distanced from the others than usual. What really tipped him off that this was where they were headed was that the flamboyant redhead was there as well.

"Really, must we sit with him?" Ciel muttered to himself.

Still, Sebastian heard and chuckled.

"Sebastian, I saved your spots as you had wished," an East Indian man greeted.

"Thank you, Agni," Sebastian responded, smiling. Then he pulled back a chair and motioned for Ciel to sit there.

"Eh? _That's_ who the spot was saved for?" Grell gaped, staring at Ciel. "Why is that kid at our table, Sebas-chan?"

"Why is Knox at our table then, Grell?" Sebastian countered.

"Well, because Ronnie is awesome. Ne, Will~?" Grell flirted.

William frowned. "Sutcliff, your logic makes no sense. Also, I couldn't honestly care less who sits at this table, whether it be Knox or this boy."

"Thank you." Spears twitched at the compliment from Michaelis. "Now everyone, this is―"

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much," Ciel said in an irritated tone. "My name is Ciel Durless."

"Very interesting. Now―" Grell started in a bored tone.

"I am William T. Spears. If you do not already know, this babbling idiot is Grell Sutcliff." William's voice was strained as he tried to block out Grell's, which had not stopped even after being cut off. Eventually, he just slapped his hand over the other's mouth to silence him. "Honestly, don't you ever shut up? Having to be in the same class as you is painful enough, I don't need to hear about your new shoes in my spare time."

Ronald gave the two an uncertain look. "Ah… Well, we already met earlier, but I'm Ronald Knox," he introduced after turning away from his superiors.

"My name is Agni," the gentle looking man said politely.

"And I," the last person at the table started energetically, "am the twenty-sixth child of the Raja of Bengal, Prince Soma Asman Kadar."

Ciel titled his head. "A prince? What are you doing in England?"

Ronald looked interested too, having just met the East Indian duo for the first time.

"Ah… Well, I actually came looking for a dear person. She went missing last year," Soma explained with a smile forced on his face.

Agni's eyes shifted away and he spoke in a solemn tone. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to find her whereabouts as of yet."

"And you're sure she was taken here?" Ronald wondered. Really, a kidnapper could be anywhere in the world.

"Yes. One of the servants back in India overheard the man," Soma informed.

It was silent for a moment. Sebastian eyed the two foreign men before deciding to speak up. "Well, enough of this for the moment. It is the start of a new year here, and most importantly, I would hate if all the food Agni and I made went to waste!"

Agni was quick to pick up the new subject. "Indeed! My Prince, let us go and fetch some curry and tea~"

"Yes! Oh, Ciel and Ronald, you just _must_ try Agni's curry!" Soma gushed and grabbed Ciel's arm, dragging him along.

"Hey―! Let go of me!" Ciel demanded as the enthusiastic Prince drug him towards the food. Who did this guy think he was, touching him so freely? Did he have no class? And to be a prince―!

Sebastian watched with a smirk as the irritated child struggled to be freed. However, that only lasted a moment before Sebastian's thoughts drifted back to something that had been nibbling at him for a while.

"Agni, would you mind helping me for a moment back in the kitchen?" the raven haired student asked finally.

Agni paused in his enthusiastic following of the Prince to glance back. "Oh, sure! I will be back in a moment, Prince Soma."

The two Seniors walked towards the joint room where the kitchen was located. Agni was surprised by the silence and stood by the door while Sebastian prepared a tea kettle.

"What was it that you needed help with?" Agni asked kindly after a moment.

Without looking back at him, Sebastian said, "Could you please fetch me the tea leaves?"

The East Indian man did as was asked and pulled a tin of specially imported chai tea leaves from the cupboard. Then he gave them to Sebastian. The odd silence continued.

"…Agni."

Said man looked towards him quickly, wondering what it was Sebastian wanted to talk to him about. It was quite clear they hadn't come here to just make tea, so there must be another reason why Sebastian wanted them alone. He wasn't expecting the next words, though.

"Do you know where she is? Mina?" Sebastian asked quietly, moving the steaming kettle off of the burning element.

"…Why would you ask such a thing? The Prince and I―"

"I think you're lying to me. You know how much I dislike being lied to," Sebastian said easily and finally turned around to face the other man.

A shiver went through Agni as he stared into the dark eyes. Eventually, he had to look away again. "I have done everything I could to locate her―"

"And you found her," Sebastian persisted. "Don't lie to me, Agni. It's obvious to me that you know where she is, but you're hiding it from Soma. You can tell me, Agni."

The other man's eyes watered. "It's just, Prince Soma was so fond of her… I did not wish to reveal the truth; it would break his heart."

"You were only trying to protect him," Sebastian murmured soothingly. However, there was still one thing he was curious about. "Where is she now, though? What if Soma were to run into her on the street?"

"Don't worry, I've taken care of that," Agni said in a distant tone, his eyes staring off into a distance. "I couldn't let her hurt my Prince like that…"

So the question was, just what did 'taking care of that' mean? Sebastian pursed his lips and decided to file that away for a later moment. Instead, he continued with, "I understand. Don't worry, I won't tell Soma or the others about this."

Agni blinked and looked back at him, an extremely grateful smile breaking across his face. "Thank you! You are such a good friend, Sebastian," he exclaimed, placing his hands on the others shoulders.

Sebastian forced himself not to try and move away from the contact. _Friends…?_ He mulled over the idea. _Indeed, I do prefer Agni's company over the others, but friends is pushing it, is it not? Or perhaps this is how all friendships are? Based off of false truths… If so, what a pitiable thing friendship is._

The crimson eyed student just smiled, though, and said that they should return back to the others.

* * *

><p>*The next day*<p>

Elizabeth peered at the book in her hands excitedly. "Oh, I've always wanted to read _Romeo and Juliet_! Aren't you excited, Paula~?"

"Yes!" Paula agreed just as enthusiastically. "Oh, you're going to be perfect for Juliet!"

"My dress is going to be so cute~" Lizzie daydreamed and spun around in a simple circle, imagining a bellowing pink dress swishing behind her. "I'm so glad Mr. Chamber loves plays so much! This is going to be an _amazing_ year!"

Vaguely, Ciel could hear her bright exclamations, even though he was all the way across the room. He had to disagree greatly with Lizzie's enthusiasm, though. Participating in plays all year did _not_ sound like fun, nor his time spent usefully.

Staring distastefully up at the blond man who was literally _prancing_ around the room, a sense of dread filled Ciel. Hopefully if he just stayed in his little corner, he would go unnoticed this entire year. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.

"_Cieeel!_" Elizabeth cried as she ran over, skirt swaying seductively over her smooth legs.

Ciel frowned. How indecent of the school for their uniforms to be so revealing.

"Ciel! Ciel! You should totally play Romeo because I―"

"No."

"What? But _Ciel_," Lizzie whined.

Ciel sighed and looked up at her from his desk. "Elizabeth, I do not wish to be any part of this production."

"But you have to," Elizabeth pointed out, placing her hands on her hips. "If you didn't want to do _Romeo and Juliet_, you should've just said so!"

"You didn't give me the chance," Ciel said with a bored tone. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is play some lovesick child who kills himself in the name of 'love'."

"Oh but it's so _romantic._" Elizabeth swooned.

"I agree," a sleek voice said from behind Lizzie.

The girl turned around to face the other student. "Oh… It was Ronald, wasn't it?"

"You are correct, my Lady," Ronald murmured and pressed a kiss to her hand.

Elizabeth blushed at the action and looked uncertainly at Ciel, who had frowned a little at the blond male.

"I would be honored to play the part of your Romeo―" Ronald started but was cut off.

"Too bad. That part's already been taken," Ciel said sternly, glaring at him. It wasn't that he was jealous, but he had seen the way Ronald acted. All around, he was the biggest player Ciel had ever seen. There was no way he was letting Lizzie get involved with someone like him.

And that was how Ciel got his role as Romeo.

"I can't believe I actually dragged myself into that," he sighed to himself as he left the class. Honestly, what a humiliating role. Maybe if he spoke to whatever his name was, he could do some other assignment for this ridiculous story. Hmm…

"'_My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, that I must love a loathed enemy.'"_

Ciel's shoulders twitched. "I'm not sure which is more disturbing: the image of you dressed up as Juliet or the fact that you've actually memorized her parts, meaning you probably _have_ played her before." Then he continued after a moment. "You're so bothersome. How did you even find out about that?"

Sebastian chuckled. "News spreads quickly here," he said simply and held up a sleek cell phone.

"Hm." Ciel started to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?"

He paused in his step. "Away from you. And especially away from your little group of followers."

"I think Soma would be very upset to hear that," Sebastian pointed out.

"Tsk. That guy doesn't understand the meaning of no, much less be offended by this. Believe me, I tried to get him to leave me yesterday, but for some reason he's convinced we're best friends or something as ridiculous." Ciel shook his head in disdain and continued on his way. Why did he have to be on the receiving end of all the clingy people in this school? He couldn't even get rid of this stupid senior student who seemed hell-bent on following him.

Sebastian had a good reason, though. There had been something that had bothered him about this boy, something he couldn't figure out. Originally, he had thought he might have seen him at some dinner party before, but he couldn't recall ever meeting any Durless. So, he did the logical thing and completed a thorough research on the boy.

What he came up with was interesting: files upon files about the boy. A birth certificate, report cards, passport, et cetera. That should've been enough to satisfy his curiosity, but he was Sebastian Michaelis and that meant not being fooled so easily. Upon further looking within the hidden properties and coding, it was clear that these had all been added to the database rather recently which meant one thing—Ciel Durless was a fake. Why he hid himself was still unclear, though.

"You have been informed that students require an extra curricular activity, yes?" Sebastian brought up.

"Is that so? They never said it was mandatory."

"Yes, well, it isn't _required_, but it is sought for." Sebastian smiled. "Why not go visit some of the clubs? I believe the Megane are practicing mixed martial arts at the moment."

"Megane?" Ciel questioned and walked with him.

"Ah, that's the name students have come up for Sutcliff, Spears and Knox. In fact, it actually started way before them. They are the ones in charge of the records in this school and are held in high regard, especially by the women. For some reason, though, all members of this group have had glasses and green eyes. Peculiar tradition, isn't it?" Sebastian commented.

The younger one had nothing to say to that. He really could not care which students managed this school, or what useless customs they had. This extracurricular activity, however, was something worth thinking of. With his small stature, something super physical like martial arts would most likely not go over well. Also, he wanted something he was already familiar with, so he didn't have to embarrass himself.

"Fencing," Ciel suddenly stated. "Do they teach that here?"

Sebastian looked at him in surprise. "So you do plan on something physical, then? But to answer your question, they do. However, we take our clubs very seriously, and don't go easy on beginners."

The blue eyed boy said confidently, "I can take care of myself."

Sebastian smirked. "We'll see. But first, if you would like to see something really impressive…"

The Senior pushed open the door to a large, wooden building, revealing a couple hundred students. Most were all leaning up against the walls, staring with mixtures of curiosity, excitement and pity.

"You wouldn't hit a lady, now would you~?" Grell Sutcliff asked saucily, standing in the center of four obscenely huge guys.

Ciel frowned. "What is that idiot doing now? He's going to get hurt, severely." The boy looked up at Sebastian and was surprised to see the eager gleam in his eyes. Perhaps he wanted to see the red head beaten?

"Just watch, this is going to be good," Sebastian said simply.

Back in the ring, one of the guys spoke up. "Don't act so cocky, Sutcliff! We're not new to martial arts."

"Yeah, just because you're a senior does not mean you're above us," another said, who was at least twice the size of Grell.

The red head tilted his head to the side. "I assure you, being a senior has nothing to do with that~ Now come on, darling, let's start this tango!" he said, no fear in his words at all, even though those monster of students were glaring down at the feminine man.

"Mocking us… Fine!" And a punch was thrown straight for Grell's face.

Grell moved to the side and frowned. "How dare you aim for my beautiful face~ You know, I—"

"Sutcliff, we don't have all day," Spears said from the side, looking at him in annoyance. "Just hurry up and finish the match so we can continue."

The red head flipped his hair over his shoulder and faced William. "But Will, that fiend—"

A perfectly manicured hand snatched the wrist of the strike that had been aimed yet again for his head. In less than a second, there was a twist and Grell had forced the man to his knees.

"How rude! I was talking to William," Grell snapped, twisting harder and making him collapse before his shoulder was dislocated.

The guy had to tap out when Grell didn't stop twisting even then.

Huffing, the green eyed man glanced at the others who were still standing there. "Well? If you're not going to play, then I'm leaving! Unless you three strong men are scared of lil' old me~"

And so, enraged, all of them attacked at once.

Like Sebastian had said, Ciel was impressed. Amazed, even. It was incomprehensible just how fast that flamboyant guy could move and with such accuracy. Every single punch and kick thrown at him was dodged gracefully, and then countered with triple the force.

The entire crowd winced as Grell nailed one of them in the face with a roundhouse kick.

"Silly, don't lean your face in if you don't want to get hit!" Grell taunted, before throwing an elbow back into the second guy's solar plexus. The sadistic smile as he fought sent shivers down their spines.

More kicks and hand strikes were thrown, but there weren't anymore take downs until Grell had beaten all but one. There, he waited until his opponent threw a lazy punch and was off balance before gripping him and flipping the man over his back. He landed with a final thud.

It was over in a minute, though it seemed like forever. The incredibleness of the situation hung in the air like a thick fog. Students gaped at the sight of the bruised and bleeding males who sat there pathetically, and at the red head who was glaring down at his hand.

"One of my nails broke," he complained to himself, though it was heard throughout the silent gym. Then he looked up at everyone. "Well, who wants to join?"

All the students immediately started to move towards the exit.

Spears let out an aggravated noise and pushed up his glasses, walking into the center as well. "Must you go that far? You're terrible at doing simple demonstrations."

Grell shrugged his shoulders. "You said fight. I fought. If you students want to learn how to beat the shit out of people, stay. If you're too scared, then go cry in your room to someone who cares."

Suddenly, at least half of the students stopped and looked back uncertainly. Slowly, they gathered around the two seniors, either deciding to prove their strength, or too proud to be called a scaredy-cat. The later would most likely end up being humiliated and hurt. Pride was nothing without the determination and will to succeed.

"He's deadly," Ciel commented, still eyeing Grell. He never would've thought that man would be able to so easily take down four of the largest guys he'd ever seen.

"Very. He's easily the best fighter we have at this school, though Spears has beaten him." Sebastian shook his head. "It's only because that idiot let him, though. He likes it when 'his Will is rough'."

"That look on his face when he was fighting, though. He looked absolutely ecstatic."

"Grell Sutcliff is a disturbing person in _many_ ways," Sebastian said with a knowing tone. "I truly despise that being."

Ciel eyed Sebastian. "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer."

"Exactly."

Then, Ciel had to wonder, just what was he?

* * *

><p>William Spears wrote quickly and efficiently in his notebook, planning, planning, always planning. Every little detail needed to be right, and he had to keep options open. Back up plans were a must. Back up <em>back up<em> plans also needed to be done. He didn't have that much time, so he needed to use every minute efficiently and―

"_Will~_" a seductive voice called him from the doorway.

Immediately, the stern man shut the book and got up. "What is it, Grell? I'm busy."

"You're always busy writing and doing work," Grell pouted and walked over. "Come _play_ with me~ Preferably naked and on your bed."

Will raised an eyebrow. "No, thank you."

"Alright." Grell draped his arms around him. "I'm up for kinky classroom sex, instead, then."

The other male closed his eyes and took a deep breath, restraining from kicking the red head in the face. Instead, he shoved him away and went to leave the room.

"Wait, where are you going!" Grell chased after him.

"If you're going to follow me, at least be silent."

Grell frowned at him, but shut up and walked silently beside him.

After a few minutes, though, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Will, where are we going?"

"I'm not sure. I just wanted some fresh air." He neglected to say 'and some peace and quiet', which definitely wouldn't be achieved with this thing stalking him like usual.

"Oh. Hey, Will?"

"…What?"

"You look very nice with the moon shining on you like this."

William blinked. Had Grell just… complimented him without adding a sexual tone to it? How utterly peculiar. He turned and looked at the other, still bewildered.

Grell raised an eyebrow at him but then glanced towards the academy's driveway as a car pulled up.

The two students walked closer stealthily and hid near the wall. It was unusual to receive students late, even if it was only by a day. It was especially odd at night. However, the person who stepped out was clearly not a student.

Grell's heart stopped at the sight.

Short, red hair framing a lovely face. Ruby lips and crimson eyes shone in the darkness, highlighted by the moonlight. A close fitting red outfit framed every luscious curve of her body, and the skirt fluttered slightly in the faint wind.

"She's beautiful," Grell breathed, gaping at the woman.

William looked down at him in surprise at his words. Grell _never_ complimented woman. He belittled them and complained about some of their nicer features, but never had he outright called another woman pretty.

_Personally_, Will thought with narrowed eyes, _her hair is too short and she's wearing too much make-up._

Still, they watched carefully as the headmaster came out and greeted the woman, helping her with her luggage. Soon, she had disappeared inside and the car drove away.

William turned away and went to leave, but Grell still stood there, looking dazed.

"Sutcliff, we're leaving," he snapped.

Grell blinked slowly. "Oh, yes. Coming~"

The walk back was uncomfortable―for William, at least. Soon after they had started walking, Grell got this large smile on his face and was practically skipping in front of him. He didn't understand. Was it this _woman_ that had made him like this…?

They walked back into their room and William shut the door, going to lock it when an exclamation stopped him.

"Oh, hello, Ronnie!" Grell chirped and flopped back onto his bed.

"Ah, sorry! I came over to see if you could help me with something and the door was unlocked," Ronald explained, rubbing his head. "It's alright, though, I figured―"

"Oh Ronnie, I think I'm in love~" Grell sighed and buried into the soft comforter. "She was so beautiful~ Her hair, her eyes, her mouth…"

Surprised, Ronald looked at William for answers.

"We saw a new staff member who seems to share his passion for the color red," he said shortly. "Knox, it's way past curfew, and some of us would like to actually sleep."

"Oh, uh, right. Sorry," Ronald said quickly before scurrying out.

Grell rolled over and frowned at Will. "You were rather short with him, don't you think?"

"He was up past curfew and in our room, _which you left unlocked_," William said disapprovingly.

"Oh, stop being such a prick, William. Ronnie wouldn't do anything, so it doesn't even matter," Grell snapped. "Honestly, you can be so frustrating sometimes…"

Will glared at Grell, his words angering him. Shaking his head, he turned back to the notebook―and froze. It had been moved. He had _clearly_ aligned it with the dent in the desk and parallel to his textbooks. Now, it was definitely on an angle.

Ronald. That boy had been snooping through his stuff. Clenching his fist, he loosened his tie and tossed the book in the desk. Shutting off the desk light, William glanced at the form of his roommate that had obviously turned away from him.

"Honestly, and you say _I'm _stubborn…" he muttered under his breath before turning in for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>I do so enjoy writing for you guys, and I hope you enjoy reading it, as well. I know it's not very suspenseful yet, but hang tight! In the meanwhile, go ahead and play detective~ The countdown to the hunt has already began ;) So, please review if you have time, it'd make my weekend ^^ Bye bye~<strong>

**^^;** **Extract**: Ciel tilted his head. The twenty-sixth child… That was a lot of birthday parties in a year… _which meant a lot of cakes! _Maybe he _should_ become acquainted with this Soma person.

**I could see Ciel using someone for desserts.**


End file.
